614. According to my research, that is the best estimate of the total number of Saab 9-4x’s produced. Estimates of the number sold in the United States are less than half that figure, probably around 267.
To put that number into context, that is roughly how many Toyota Camrys are sold every four hours, or the number of Ford F-150’s sold every two. Or to use another measurement at the opposite end of the scale, that is not even double the 450 total Veyrons sold by Bugatti.
For grizzled Curbside Classic hunters such as my self, this is the big one. It’s not just a unicorn, but a unicorn whistling Dixie while chewing bubblegum at the same time.
As if finding one in the wild wasn’t difficult enough, the 9-4x (like its 9-2x and 9-7x stablemates) looks virtually indistinguishable in profile from its donor platform (The Cadillac SRX in the case of the 9-4x). I’ve lamented about this problem before, but main challenge of spotting rare Saabs in the wild is that you not only have to find them, you have to see them from the front to recognize it as a Saab. If highly skilled car spotters struggle to identify badge-engineered Saabs in the wild, car buyers of 2011 certainly weren’t fooled.
A quick Google search reveals that, as of 2017, there are roughly ten 9-4x’s for sale in the US at any given time (I’m sure readers of this post five years from now will be amazed that 9-4x’s were once even this common). I’ve been aware of one for sale at a dealership about 45 minutes away from my house for a while now. I’ve pondered stopping by at some point just to see it, but that kind of feels like cheating – sort of like going on a big game hunt at the zoo.
Luckily, my moral dilemma was solved driving in to work early one gloomy and rainy morning, when by chance I happened to spot this car parked in the lot of the local Advance Auto Parts. I pulled into the parking lot, jumped out of my still idling car, and immediately started snapping photos with my iPhone. Shortly thereafter, a concerned looking gentleman rushed out of the still closed store to inquire what I am up to.
At first, I wasn’t sure what to do. I’ve been taking photos of other people’s cars for Curbside Classic for a while now, and in all that time I have never once run into an owner. I’ve always realized that sooner or later it was bound to happen, but I must say I never really prepared for what I would do when that day arrived.
Caught slightly off guard, I explained to him that I was a contributor for a website called Curbside Classic, which specializes in telling the stories about all kinds of cars, both mundane and exceptional (Every car has a story is really a wonderful strapline). I proceeded to explain to him how exceptional his 9-4x truly was, and how I had been looking for one for ages.
He seemed to be relieved that all I was interested in was his 9-4x, and not something more nefarious (after checking the CC web site on his phone to verify its legitimacy). Plus, I think he sensed my excitement over his car, which is hard to fake over an otherwise generic compact luxury SUV.
I soon came to find out that Sam, while not the original owner, bought 9-4x number 145 from a failing dealership in 2011 when it had around 1,000 miles. It was used as a personal ride by the dealership’s owner, and possibly as a demo. He bought it not because it was special, or out of any great love of Saabs, but because it was the type of car he was looking for, and it was a good deal. In other words, how most people choose their cars. In Sam’s case, it was an opportunity to get a Cadillac SRX at a significant discount. An off-the-rack version of the SRX is surly not what GM intended when product planners envisioned the 9-4x.
Sam was very cordial about the whole affair. He was happy to let me photograph his car, and even offered to meet me again after getting the car cleaned up. Alas, on the day of our scheduled meetup, the weather was even worse than on the day of our original encounter.
Sam is now well aware of the rarity of his ride, even if he wasn’t when he acquired it. Sometimes an acquaintance will tell him how they saw a car like his out on the road, to which Sam will respond, with justified authority, “No you didn’t see one. You only think you did.”
Sam has no particular plans for his 9-4x. I’m sure it will continue to be driven until it gets used up, and is no more. That’s just the way it goes with most cars, which is why there aren’t still tens of thousands of Edsels roaming the streets today. To most owners, theirs is just another car.
I did give Sam one last word of advice: Drive carefully. In the event of even a minor fender bender, replacement body parts would likely prove impossible to find (although some people appear to be hoarding 9-4x’s to prepare for this contingency).
Related Reading:
Future CC: 2011 Saab 9-4X – Could This Be The Only One?
Wow! Congratulations on bagging this particular unicorn. I live in metro Boston, which was Saab country for ages. I see frequently see examples of the final 9-5 generation and the 9-7 (which seems to be more common, but I’ve never researched the numbers). There is a red 9-2 that I see around town, so I think it lives here. I have seen one 9-4 on I-95 in heavy 60 mph traffic, where taking pictures was not an option.
Like you, I have been keeping my eyes out for a 9-4. The other day my wife and I were on a shopping trip. As she parked the car I thought I had finally found a 9-4 off in the distance. She rolled her eyes, said “Um, OK” and went into the store while I walked across the lot to investigate. Alas, it was “only” a 9-5. The quest continues…
I have a 2011 9-4X. If you’re interested.. in pretty good all over condition. Text me if interested.(502) 662-1025 My name is Mark.
Amazing find Tom. Ironic that a vehicle with production numbers that allows it such rare status, possesses such generic looks.
Congrats for the find! I’ve yet to achiveve that.
I am a long time Volvo guy, but my eternal automotive dream is one day owning a 2011 Saab 9-5. One of my favourite cars ever. Spotted one this week on Spanish plates. The first one I spotted that wasnt silver or White! It was a base model TID diesel, but i don’t care, snapped pics of it anyway.
Another anecdote: it was the 9-4X that introduced me to CC when I ran into Brendan’s article on a blue one back in 2014 I went back in 2015 never to leave again.
Can’t tell from the photos…where is the ignition switch?
With the trend toward pushbutton start switches, I always wondered if they would’ve remained between the front seats, had Saab lived on.
Pity that Saab went away just as this model was introduced. Despite being a badge-engineered SRX, it appears to have been nicely finished. On the other hand, it probably lacked the undefinable quirkiness that attracted Saab buyers* in previous decades.
* In my neck of the woods, these were defined as “Subaru buyers looking to trade up to a more luxurious vehicle” (all
fivethree of them).1. I live in mortal fear of being accosted by an owner while photographing a car. I suppose unless the fellow comes out brandishing a firearm it wouldn’t be a big deal, yet my fear persists.
2. I learned a new word today: strapline. Thanks!
Well, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who dreads encountering a hostile car owner! Fortunately, I haven’t had such an experience yet, but it’s often in the back of my mind. I guess I’m more of a car person than a people person.
I have the same concerns. The only time it’s happened to me was when I stopped to photograph a R32 Skyline GTS sedan parked in the lot of what I thought was a closed paint & body shop, and the owner of the shop materialized to find out what I was up to. While he certainly wasn’t hostile, he didn’t seem to think that the car was all that interesting since it wasn’t a GT-R. (If a nearly 30 year old, RHD JDM Skyline isn’t interesting to him, I wondered what was…) As I hadn’t yet written anything for CC, I just told him that it was an interesting car to me.
Wow, just awesome. I saw one of these in my work parking lot a couple months ago and almost jumped up and down from excitement. Unfortunately my cell phone battery was dead so I couldn’t get any pictures.
You want to see One.?I have one for sale. Text (502) 662-1025
I used to see a couple of these semi-regularly when I lived in Boston. Hard to imagine adopting such a rare orphan when it’s a modern car; I shudder to think about the difficulty of getting it repaired.
If I remember right, these were in many ways better than the Cadillac SRX; the engine and suspension were particularly praised. Too bad GM didn’t update the SRX with the Saab’s better bits.
I would love to own a final 9-5 sedan. It’s not a great Saab per se, but it’s a pretty spiffy grand touring sedan. Kind of like a Citroen XM: not an archetype of the brand, but a top-notch vehicle if you judge it on its own merits (and if you ignore the problem of keeping it running).
The final 9-5 is a lot easier to find than the 9-4X; that’s for sure. And its design was definitely better than the heavy-handed, bulky design of the contemporary (2010-2016) LaCrosse with which it shared its Epsilon II architecture.
Nice find! I’ve only seen two in my life: one in Boston (of course) and one in Philadelphia.
Hey Sam, if you’re reading this, we are kind of weird but from what I can tell mostly harmless.
When I shot the photos of the King Midget for my CC, it was parked outside a restaurant, along with a few other classics, as a means of attracting customers.
Before I shot, I went into the restaurant and found the manager/owner and explained what I wanted to do. Her reaction was neither impressed nor concerned.
After the article published, I sent her a link to the article. I never heard back.
Out of the thousands of cars I’ve shot, I’ve only had one bad encounter. But the guy was a certifiable nut case. He claimed I couldn’t shoot the ’46 Packard sitting on the public street in front of his house. I took a few shots anyway, and left.
if folks come out or approach, and are a bit apprehensive about what I’m doing, I just say “Love your car! I take pictures of cool old cars for a blog!” They’re inevitably flattered. Always works.
I actually took a demo drive in one of these when they first came out.
Seemed like a nice enough ride but with under 500 produced finding any Saab-specific parts is going to be a sporting proposition to say the least.
I really like the design of these, and certainly easy to discern from an SRX for those interested enough. Had they been available New in 2013 I certainly would have strongly considered, and it would have shared the garage with my 9-3. Alas fate intervened…
Not crazy about the blue tint headlights though
Even here in Massachusetts, these are rare as hens teeth. I recall seeing one several years ago.
I’ve seen one in the wild in Canada with dealer plates.
Last December come across bright red 9_5 of final generation..
From what I understand, by the time this 9-4X rolled out, GM had already sold the Saab brand and was essentially building the 9-4X under contract for Saab alongside its Cadillac SRX sister vehicle. GM made very few of them, under 1,000, because Spyker (the then-owner of Saab) wanted to sell to a Chinese company, and GM, who had huge stakes in China, did not want to supply its technology and intellectual property to its Chinese competitors. Hence the rarity of the 9-4X.
As for the 9-4X, I wouldn’t call it badge-engineered. Badge-engineered is when two or more vehicles literally share the same bodyshell and much of an interior, so that the main difference between them is the badge and artificial options (like offering a premium engine or Corinthian leather on one, but not the other). The Silverado and Sierra are badge-engineered. This is not. It has a separate bodyshell from the SRX. And if you didn’t know cars, and even if you did, you wouldn’t automatically see this and think it was a relative of the SRX.
That said, the Saab 2.8T V6, which was the premium engine in both the 9-4X and the early SRX (over the 3.0-liter V6), seems to have been vastly inferior to the 3.6-liter V6. The 3.6 became the sole engine in the SRX after 2012. I wonder if GM would have done the same for the 9-4X had it survived.
Manhattan kansas. Used to see one regularly in front of an office a few years back, then it showed up at a local auto used car lot. I stopped and looked several times but common sense prevailed and I didn’t bite.
“Sam is now well aware of the rarity of his ride, even if he wasn’t when he acquired it. Sometimes an acquaintance will tell him how they saw a car like his out on the road, to which Sam will respond, with justified authority, “No you didn’t see one. You only think you did.””
Sam could say to his friends, “No, that wasn’t my car – that was ONLY a Cadillac”. 🙂
I knew these were rare, but I didn’t know just how rare they were. In a classic case of the reverse CC effect, I saw one of these the other day here near Portland, Maine.
I’ve never knowingly seen one, though I have no doubts I probably have and it just didn’t register for what it was. Nice find!
I knew that they were rare, but I didn’t know that they were that rare. WOW. I actually spotted one on Friday, here in San Diego. I was in traffic on the 8 westbound, and I couldn’t get my camera out quick enough to catch it before it exited the freeway.
I am hoping to run into it again soon, and I’ll do my best to snap a few photos of it if I can.
I see the same black final generation 9-5 wagon, among other cars I see often, when I go home from work. As soon as they [never got a look whether man or woman] get to highway from entrance ramp, they floor it.
Correction, it’s a 9-3 wagon, with the large vertical tail light assemblies.
Let me know… Anyone in buying.. Text (502) 672-1025
Let me know… Anyone in buying.. Text (502) 662-1025. I’m in Kentucky..